Posted on 05/05/2021 4:50:21 AM PDT by marktwain
On April 17th, 2021, at about noon, there was a shooting at the Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska. One person was killed, another was wounded. A police officer had been shot at in the Mall a month earlier.
The Westroads Mall is reported to be a gun-free zone. When the shooting happened on April 17th, 2021, Scott Tafoya was carrying his pistol with a Nebraska permit. He drew the pistol to protect himself and others, knowing there might be legal consequences.
“Every indication said our lives were in danger and I was going to do everything in my power to make sure we got out of there OK,” Tafoya said.
He’s a legal conceal carry permit holder, even though Westroads Mall is a weapon-free zone.
“I knew that if I ever pulled that out it would truly be a life and death situation and I would deal with the consequences later,” he said.
As Von Maur employees shuttled shoppers into a bathroom, he stood guard.
“I said I have a permit, I’m legal,” he said.
He said he stood near the escalators to draw any threat away from where his family was.
“Everyone else on the third floor just got added into that because the best way to keep my family safe was to make sure nobody with ill intentions came up that escalator.”
When the police came to investigate the shooting and provide security, he unloaded his pistol placed it in his holster with the slide locked back, and approached the police with his hands up. The police told him to leave, and have not charged him with any offense, yet.
In 2007, a mass murderer killed seven people and himself on 5 December, using a stolen Century WASR-10 (AKM clone) rifle.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
As a practical matter, it will be impossible.
It shouldn’t even be possible.
L
In Omaha or Lincoln, who knows.
In Georgia he can only by prosecuted if, once he is identified as carrying a firearm, he is asked to leave and does not. Then he can be arrested and charged with trespassing. From reading the rest of your item, it sounds like Nebraska is about the same. I think he has little to worry about. If he were to be prosecuted it is time for protestors to show up at the prosecutor’s office.
Mall near me is "gun-free", but I NEVER go in there w/o carrying.
Malls are dangerous places - roving groups of teen thugs and car-jackings in the parking lot.
Hard for me to use brick and mortar stores anymore. Except for food stores and to for a home project at the home store. And of course the gun store.
If it were me, I would have tried my best to not say ANYTHING. I wouldn’t want anyone, including law enforcement, prosecutors, and the press to quote me.
The mall here is also a gun free zone. I NEVER go there.
Nick Meli did this at the Clackamas Mall in Portland, Oregon back in .. when/what year was that?
” I would have tried my best to not say ANYTHING.”
I have carry insurance. The instructions are, say nothing beyond your name and whatever identity questions you are asked by authorities. Call the insurance company and they will provide a lawyer. Only the lawyer should speak. In the literature, there were dozens of examples on what dumb, but common things people had said that got them in legal hot water. The instructions were to parrot, I will be available to speak with you when I have a lawyer present. (Obviously, if someone they can’t see is injured you should tell them that.)
I carry everywhere I *legally* can. There are a few places I go that I know are against the law to carry. But businesses... Well, it is called concealed carry for a reason. If I have to draw my weapon most people there (other than say the perpetrator(s)) are going to be glad I did. My contention will be I did not realize it was a "gun free" zone - because as I came in someone blocked my view of the signage, or I was distracted, etc. I know weak but, you gotta give them reasonable doubt...
https://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/2013/05/clackamas_town_center_shooting_84.html
Meli, an off-duty security guard, was at the mall Dec. 11 when he heard several shots, then saw the shooter, Jacob Tyler Roberts, running toward him with a semiautomatic rifle. Meli, who holds a concealed handgun license and told police he “always carries,” drew his handgun, but didn’t fire.
The details and significance of Meli’s actions at that point become clouded, even with the release this week of a 926-page investigative report.
It shouldn’t even be being discussed. The subject should never have been raised. He defended himself, good on him, let’s go after the perp.
The mall here is also a gun free zone. I NEVER go there.
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Our malls here are gun free zones, I go there frequently, there are shiny things that my wife likes there but you can believe I have never been there un-armed. Some of the store owners that I frequent know I carry, especially our favorite Diamond Ring store. The owner has been robbed before and lost a lot in the robbery but still does not carry, he is from India and is very much afraid of guns. He had no idea I carried until we had him to dinner one day. He’s good with it.
“The Westroads Mall is reported to be a gun-free zone. When the shooting happened on April 17th, 2021, Scott Tafoya was carrying his pistol with a Nebraska permit. He drew the pistol to protect himself and others, knowing there might be legal consequences.”
You have to be careful doing that in case the police coming on the scene might think you’re the perp and come after you or a frightened person might see it and create a panic. I’d say get your weapon ready to fire but keep it out of sight.
My aunt was there when the kid with the AK shot up the VanMaur store years ago.
Many of my family started carrying after that.
If the prosecutor wants to, he can charge the guy and maybe get a conviction. But it would be bad politics.
The mall may demand it.
Many years ago, a security guard approached me at our local mall as asked if I was a CCW holder.
I said yes (I knew the guy from the range).
He then asked what doors I came into the mall. I always walk through the book store, which does NOT have the “Gun free zone” signs posted.
Guard laughed and said have a good day.
Great advice.
Great advice
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Also probably not a ‘bad’ idea to request medical attention due to the ‘trauma’ ESPECIALLY if one had to fire.
A ‘state of shock’ can work different ways on different people(HA) and being up in age also ‘helps’ when requesting ‘medical help’.
We carry everywhere. If we get asked to leave so be it.
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